Measuring implement.



A. W. GUSTAFSON.

MEASURING IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION. FILED rmnzo, 1913.

1 1 1 4, 1 34. Paten ted Oct. 20, 1914.

J lvwwto'z k THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHO 'LJ THG WASHINGTON, D, C.

, U I ED STATES; PATENTOFFICE.

AXEL w. eus'rnrsongor s1. osnrn, MICHIGAN. I

MEAsuRIivG IMPLEMENT. p

Specificationof Letters Patent. I 3 Patented Oct, 20, 1914, Application filed. February 20, 191 3. SerialNo. 749,700.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Axial. W; GUsrAFsoN,

citizen of the United States, residing atSt. Joseph, in the county of Berrien and State 5 of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Measuring Implements, of which the following is a specificar tion. y p

This invention relates to measuring implements, more particularly to implements employed for ascertaining the correct bevels of the ends of braces, rafters of various kinds, and like members employed in building operations, and likewise for ascertaining the lengths of such members, and hasfor one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention isto provide a simply constructed device which may be employed in connection with an ordinary carpenters square, and whereby the end bevels and lengths of braces, rafters ofva rious kinds, and like members may be readily ascertained and the bevels accurately out. With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawingsillustrm tive of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 isa perspective V1QW. or, the improved implement wlth a conventlonalg Fig. 2

carpenters square located therein. is a front elevation of the graduatedmember illustrating the manner of arranging the graduations. on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The body portion of the improved imholding the blade and tongue of an ordinary carpenters square from vibration. Thefiat face of the body portion is provided with t an initial graduation, indicated at 14, near one end and extended transversely of the,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section "of. transverse graduations indicating various pitches or angles of the braces, rafters of various kinds, and like members, and corresponding to the oblique distances between the graduations respectively on the blade and tongue of a carpenters square. The graduations alsoindicate the lengths of the various members, as hereafter explained.

The graduations 14 and 15 of the body are the initial graduations, or the graduations from which the various measurements start, and the remaining graduations or series of graduations, other than the initial graduations, may start at any point upon the body. For the purpose of illustration, the various pitches of the raftermembers of a-roof are employed, andthe first graduation of the series is spaced from the initial graduation a distance equal to thelength of the rafter to be set at quarter pitch, while the remaining graduations of the series increase uniformly in pitch, one inch at a time. In constructing the device the first graduation of the series employed representingone-quarter pitch is located by inserting an ordinary carpenters square or like implement, indicated as a whole at 13, through the slot 11 with the graduations 12 on the outer edge of one member of the square, preferably the tongue, opposite the'initial graduation of the graduated head or body 10 and represented at 14, and the graduation 6 on the outer edge of the other or blade member of the square, registers withthe edges of the slotll in the upper face of the body 10, andscribing a line upon the body at that point. The distance from the initial graduation 14 to the first graduation of the series corresponds tothe length dimension being 12 andthe vertical dimension being 6. This distance is 13.42 feet, the scale employed being oneinch to the foot.

he-square is then moved through the slot 11 of the member 10 until the graduation 7 on the blade of the square registers with the edges of the slot 11 in the upper face of the body 10 withthe character 12 of the tongue of the square retained at the initial graduation, 14.] A graduating line is then j scribed 0n the member 10 opposite the figure 7 of the. blade of the square which indicates a pitch of 7/24. The square is then again moved until the character 8 ofthe blade is even with the outer face of the member 10 3 of a rafter of quarter pitch, the base 1 member which indicates what is known as full pitch. The various graduations therefore correspond to the inch graduations of the square and are marked in regular order from 24 to the starting graduation 6. If nothing less than quarter pitch is required the graduations do not extend be yond the six-inch mark which, as before stated, scales 13.42 feet from the initial graduation 14:.

The face of the member 10 is divided by longitudinal lines into three columns of spaces at one side of the slot and by a single line into two columns of spaces at the opposite side of the slot. The outer column of spaces at the left denotes the various pitches required and is so marked at the head of the column; the second column denotes the lengths of common rafters and is so marked.

To locate the graduation from which the measurements of the octagon or hip rafters start, the graduation 12 of the blade of the square is placed at the graduation 12 of the member 10 and the tongue moved outwardly until the graduation 13 of the same register with the edges of the slot 11, and a line scribed at this point and indicated at 15. To locate the graduations from which the measurements of the valley rafters start the graduation 12 of the blade of the square is placed at the graduation 12 of the member 10 and the square moved outwardly until the graduation 17 of the tongue of the square registers with the edges of the slot 11, and a line scribed on the member at this point and indicated at 16. p

The hip or octagon rafter which is associated with a common rafter of half pitch, or 16.97 feet long, equals the distance from the graduation 15 on the member 10 to the graduation 12 on the same member, and this length scales 17 .69 feet, and these numerals are markedon the member 10 in the hip or octagon rafter column of spaces, and at the transverse graduation 12 of the member 10, while the valley rafter which is associated with a common rafter of half pitch equals the distance from the graduation 16 of the member 10 to the graduation 12 of the member 10, or 20.22 feet and these numerals are marked in the valley rafter column at'the graduation 12. Thus the central column at the left side of the slot when viewed from the front denotes the respective lengths-of the common rafters at the various pitches noted and is provided with characters indicating such lengths in feet and decimale of feet while the column next to the slot at the right contains characters denoting the lengths of the corresponding octagon or hip rafters, while the outer column at the right denotes the lengths of the corresponding valley rafters, and contams the corresponding characters. By this simple means a mechanic is able to accurately determine the lengths of the various rafters of a building, and by employing a right angled implement such as a carpenters square, the latter in coaction with the member 10, may be employed for scribing the proper bevels at the ends of the rafters.

The character 12 on the tongue of the square is chosen as the initial graduation from which the various dimensions are ascertained, and in employing the improved implement the square is projected through the slot, as shown in Fig. 1, with the character 12 of the tongue 13 of the square located opposite the initial graduation 12 on the body 10. If the rafter is to be cut for a half pitch the square is moved until the character 12 of the blade of the square comes opposite the graduation 12 of the member 10. If a quarter pitch rafter is to be cut the character 12 of the tongue of the square is retained at the graduation 14L of the member 10 and the square moved until the character 6 of the blade of the square is located opposite the graduation 6 of the member 10. The length of a rafter of quarter pitch scales 13.42 feet, as indicated. Thus any required dimension may be readily obtained and at the same time the square utilized to accurately scribe the bevels for cutting at the ends of the rafters, as before described. The lengths of the corresponding octagon or hip rafters and valley rafters are ascertained by consulting the columns at the left of the slot. For instance, if the pitch of the main rafter is 45 or one half, the corresponding hip rafter will be 17.69 and the corresponding valley rafter 20.22. Thus a workman can readily, quickly and accurately cut braces or rafters of various kinds. The graduations on the member 10 are shown, for illustration, in inches, but it will be obvious that other units or fractions of units may be employed if required.

The body 10 may be constructed of any suitable material, but will preferably be of hard wood with a metal face to receive the graduations, but it is not desired to limit the invention to any specific material or to any particular sizes of the members.

A suitable clamping device, represented conventionally at 17, is applied to the device, preferably to the projection 12, to compress the parts and hold the square 13 in adjusted position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An implement of the class described including a head member having a longitudinal slot, ribs extending from said head at each side of the slot, said head member having an initial graduation upon one face transversely of the slot and a plurality of other graduations upon said face and transversely of the slot a member including arms at right angles to each other and inserted through the slot and between the ribs, and clamping means applied to the ribs and compressing them against the right-angled member.

2. The combination with a carpenters square including a blade and a tongue, of a head member having a longitudinal slot to receive the members of the square, said head member having an initial graduation transversely of the slot and a plurality of other graduations transversely of the slot indieating the distances from a predetermined graduation on the tongue of the square to graduations on the blade of the square, ribs spaced apart and extending from the head at each side of the slot, and clamping means applied to said ribs to compress them on the members of the square.

3. A device of the class described com- 'IlbS spaced apart and extending from said stock at each side of the slot, saidstock having a plurality of graduations at. each side of the slot and toward one endof the stock and respectively indicating variouspitches of common rafters, hip rafters and valley rafters, said stock having other transverse graduations at each side of the slot and denoting the starting points to the various measurements, an implement having members at right angles to each other and uniformly graduated and inserted through said slot and between the ribs, and a clampmeans applied to said ribs to compress them upon the right-angled implement.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two Witnesses.

AXEL W. GUSTAFSON. [L.s.] Witnesses:

SAML. W. .HONEY, WILL R. STEVENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

Washington, D. 0. 

